Cabinet having foldable supporting means



Sept. 5, 1950 C. E. ECKEL ET AL CABINET HAVING FOLDABLE SUPPORTING MEANSFiled Oct. 16, 1945 l INVENTORS ATTO R N EY Patented Sept. 5, 1950CABINET'HAVING FOLDABLE SUPPORTING MEANS Charles E. Eckel, Scarsdale,and Anne Silver, I New York, N. Y.

Application October 16, 1945, Serial No. 622,506

1 Claim. (01. s12-14e) This invention relates to furniture in general,and particularly to utility cabinets, and especially to portablecabinets which may be used in either suspended or supported positions.

The prime object of the present invention is to provide a relativelyinexpensive and practical cabinet adapted to be either suspended orsupported, and which is especially designed for use in caring forinfants, and which, due to its intended purpose, must be readilyportable to permit changing its location and position to the bestadvantage of the user.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a portablecabinet, comprising a body divided into a plurality of compartments,wherein at least one of the compartments is open and readily accessible,whereas other compartments are closable, such cabinet having a pluralityof suspension means, of which at least one is retractible, and whereinare provided similarly retractible base extensions, serving for enlarginthe effective support for the cabinet.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a cabinetwith a false back and bottom, and with which false back are associatedthe aforementioned retractible suspension means and retractible baseextension means, whereas at the false bottom a foldable towel bar isarranged and is so constructed that it may swing into the false bottomwhen the cabinet is to be placed upon an existing support.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cabinet of the typeindicated, wherein the bottom compartments are provided with adownwardly swinging closure equipped with limiting means adapted tocheck the outward movement thereof, and which closure, when in openposition, serves as an extension of the bottommost compartment.

The foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the presentinvention will become more fully apparent from the ensuing description,in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet in accordance with the instantinvention, the cabinet resting upon a support, such as a table;

Fig. 2 is a back view of the cabinet with its suspension and baseextension means in retracted position; and

Fig, 3 is another perspective view of the cabinet shown suspended from abassinet.

Referring now specifically to the drawing, numeral I0 denotes a cabinetbody consisting of a back panel H framed within a peripheral flange I2to form a recessed-back. There is also provided a recessed bottom panel13 within a flange M, the latter extendin about both sides and the frontof the panel. The upper end of the back is arcuated at A5 and isprovided with a central aperture l6 for the reception of a hook or thelike, while below and symmetrically spaced from aperture it are providedtwo other apertures I! for the reception of a cord or rope which mayalso serve as suspension means for the cabinet, say, from a corner postof a bed.

Hinged at I8 to the side members of flange l2 of the false back areretractible hook-shaped suspension elements I9 which are adapted, whennot in use, to fold towards one another and into the recessed back, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2, or may be swung outwards into operative positionas clearly seen in Fig. 3. I-Iingedly secured also ed to swing towardeach other when not in use, I

but to swing outwards into operative position when the cabinet is to beplaced upon an existing support, as shown in Fig, 1. In theirinoperative position base extensions 2| fold against the recessed back.When suspension hooks l9 as well as base extensions H are in theirretracted position, as shown in Fig. 2, their outer faces are disposedin the plane in which lies the outer edge of peripheral flange l2.

Hinged at 22 near the front bottom corners of the cabinet and within therecessed bottom thereof is a towel rack or bar 23 which isretracti-b'le, as clearly indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. When the cabinetis suspended, as shown in Fig. 3, this towel bar swings downwards forits intended use.

The body of the cabinet is divided into a plurality of compartments. Theupper portion of the cabinet constitutes an open shelf 24 provided witha low, frontal retaining wall 25, and which shelf is adapted-for thereception of articles required to be readily accessible. Beneath openshelf 24 there are arranged three rows of subdivided compartmentsprovided with low retaining ledges 25, and below these three rows ofsub-divided compartments are two compartments extending the full widthof the cabinet. The upper, full-width compartment 28 is also equippedwith a low retaining ledge 21. The three rows of the sub-dividedcompartments are closable by doors 28 which are adapted to swing out toboth sides of the cabinet, whereas the two full-width compartments areclosable by door 29 which swings out forward'and serves in its swung-outposition as extension of the bottom of the lowermost compartment. Door29 is equipped with side segments 30 provided with slots 3!. These slotsengage pins 32 which are adapted to limit the outward swinging movementof the door. Secured to the outer face of the door are knobs 33 whichnot only facilitate the opening of the door, but also serve as supportsfor the door when in swung-out position.

While the drawing and the foregoing description deal with only onespecific form of a portabl cabinet, it is to be understood that changesand improvements may be incorporated therein without departing from thescope of the present invention as defined in the annexed claim.

We claim:

In a cabinet having recessed back and bottom, open compartments at itsupper end and closable compartments below the open compartments, hingedsuspension means at the upper end of the cabinet and hinged baseextensions at its bottom "end; both foldable into the recessed back, anda 4 forwardly swingable closure for some of the compartments, saidclosure serving as extension of the lowermost compartment when in openposition.

CHARLES E. ECKEL.

ANNE SILVER.

fiEF ERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

